


The Ties that Bind

by dante_alicheery



Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: F/M, Missing Scenes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-01
Updated: 2013-07-01
Packaged: 2017-12-16 18:31:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/865237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dante_alicheery/pseuds/dante_alicheery
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Missing Scenes in the courtship between Chrom and the Female My Avatar/Female Robin - may slide up to E in future chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> These missing scenes are adapted from the M!Robin support conversations with Chrom, because honestly they're kind of better than the humorous Friends style "Ah we saw each other naked how embarrassing" from the support conversations with F!Robin. So enjoy some awkwardness and a lot of "stop putting yourself in danger" talk between these two.

They were heading for the Ferox, to enlist the aid of the Khan. Robin’s head was still swimming with new faces and names, new connections to make. 

Fredrick rode on ahead of any of them, making sure there were no stones in the way to offend Chrom’s passage, but everyone else meandered their way, talking and laughing, joking with their comrades, their friends. Even Chrom had a wide smile on his face, his body shaking with laughter at something Sully said. 

Robin walked behind them all feeling more than a little overwhelmed. 

Did she have any friends like this, before? Was there anyone she could just walk and laugh with out there, now wringing their hands over her disappearance, worried sick over her?

The thought made her bite her lip and stare up at the sky. Why couldn’t she remember anything? 

No, she couldn’t keep on this path. It would only make her ill, would only distract her from her new duties – to think and plan and protect these strangers. These strangers and Chrom.

She inhaled, mind lingering on that last thought, then put on some speed so she was even with the Shepard’s Commander, and Prince of Ylisse. Sully cast her a curious look, and Robin’s mouth went dry. 

“Chrom, can I ask you something?” 

Sully breathed in as if to say something, but Stahl’s hands grabbed the reins of her charger, and they were racing ahead before she could spit it out. Stahl looked behind him, grinning at her, and Robin mouthed a ‘Thank You,’ before turning back to their fearless leader.

Chrom blinked. “Should I be worried?” he joked.

“I don’t know,” she said, laughing nervously. A hand came up to run through her chestnut locks. “Just… um. When you found me back there, collapsed. Not even knowing who I was. Um. Why did you take me in?”

“Because you were collapsed and you didn’t even know who you were?” he replied. His nose wrinkled in confusion.

It made Robin blush. As if this wasn’t hard enough to ask already. “So that was it? You just… pitied me?”

“That wasn’t enough?”

“You didn’t even consider it might have been a trap? Some kind of Plegian ambush?”

“That’s what Frederick’s for,” he laughed easily, letting his gaze fall away from Robin’s inquisitive expression, and to the wary knight far ahead, still lifting pebbles out of the party’s way. “He’s wary enough for the both of us.”

“But, you could have –“

“Robin, when I see someone hurt or in need, I help them.” He shrugged. “That’s who I am. There’s no changing that.” His eyes flicked over to her again. “Or would you rather I had left you there, face down in the muck?”

“No,” Robin replied, laughing. The knot in her back felt looser, and with Chrom smiling at her like that, easy and familiar, she felt more at her ease. “No, of course not. Thank you, for taking me in. For trusting me. For everything.”

“You’re welcome.”

“I just wish you’d be more careful,” she remarked. “Chivalry and longevity don’t often go hand in hand.”

Chrom wrinkled his nose again. “Ugh. I get that lecture from Fredrick enough, thank you. Besides, it’s just not in my nature to stand aside when I can help. I can’t change that.”

The words were out of her mouth before she registered them. “And I wouldn’t want you to.”

“Then it’s settled. No one is changing anytime soon. Now come on. If we don’t get to Ferox by nightfall, we’re all going to have to listen to Lyssa complain about camping again. And gods know I can’t stand another night of that.” He beckoned to her and put on a burst of speed.

“Then I’ll just have to be watchful enough for the both of us. For my piece of mind, of course.” Robin said. Chrom made no sign that he heard her, and Robin, chuckling, jogged to catch up.  


If he was going to trust her, she would have to make sure she was worthy of that trust. Even if he didn’t think of her as a lady.


	2. Chapter 2

She was walking back from the mess tent when she heard the unmistakable sound of steel sliding out of a scabbard. Her body turned, hand reaching for the sword at her side in one fluid motion.

On the other side of the tent was Chrom, his sword drawn and pointed at the back of a man, a coward, who was stumbling away as fast as his drunk legs could carry him.

With her quick tactician’s eyes, she ascertained that there was no further threat, and that Chrom appeared to be unhurt. Nevertheless, she rounded on their fearless leader. “Is everything alright?” And if her voice was a little breathless, who could blame her?

“Yeah, I’m fine. Just some local thug,” he replied, waving away my concern. “I didn’t even have to bloody my blade – he ran off as soon as I drew my sword.” He laughed. “Poor fellow probably thought I was some fat merchant, ripe for the picking.”

“You were going to fight him alone?”

“Well, as you can, see it wasn’t much of a fight. And I couldn’t have let him wander around camp to find some other prey – Lissa or Mirabelle or you-ah…” he stuttered over the last syllable and amended: “Or Virion.”

She sighed heavily, choosing to ignore his slight for now. He’d pay for it on the training field soon enough. “By the gods, Chrom. I wish you wouldn’t take such foolish risks.” 

“Um… you do realize we’re at war, right? Just walking onto the battlefield is a risk.”

“I don’t fear for you on the field. You’re easily a match for anyone head on,” she snapped. 

“Thanks. You’re not bad with a blade yourself--” He smiled sincerely, which made her palm itch to slap it right off of his face.

“I fear for you being stabbed in the back!” Robin finished, flustered. Her hands were clenched by her sides. Didn’t this damn fool of a prince understand? “After the attempted assassination of your sister, you should know that Plegia doesn’t share your sense of honor. They’ll get rid of you by any means necessary.”

His brow furrowed. “Robin, I thank you for your concern, but no random cut purse is going to do me in.”

“Hubris,” she warned, arching an eyebrow. “Must I list every hero of legend who said something like that just before succumbing to poison, or being picked off by a sniper?”

Chrom flinched back. “I don’t really think that’s necessary…”

“You’re our Commander, Chrom. And our Prince. All our victories on the battlefield would mean nothing if we lost you… I… the army would fall apart.” She paused for a deep, calming breath, and forced her fists to unclench. “And everything would be for naught. You must remember Chrom; you’re not your own man anymore. We need you safe.”

Chrom’s gaze fell to his boots, tracing the outline of mud on them. “Enough. You’ve made your point, and you’re right. As always.” 

“So you’ll be more careful?” It came out as a whine, and she cursed herself for acting like some nervous old woman.

“I’ll be more careful,” he echoed. He looked at her, expression considering, head cocked to one side. “Thank you, Robin.”

“Of course. That’s what I’m here for – to watch your back.”

“And I yours,” he replied. 

It was a simple statement, but for some reason it sent all the blood to Robin’s face. She was suddenly acutely aware of how this scene might look to any innocent passerby - the two of them, half-hidden from the rest of the camp, alone. At night.

“Um,” she stuttered. “Well. Lecture over; I’m just going to go now. Go uh… finish this tome of tactics I was working on. Yup. Good night.”

She turned on her heel and marched right out of there as swiftly as she could without running.

“Good night,” Chrom called after her. 

Gods, but she really was the strangest woman.


	3. Chapter 3

It was a full week after that whole embarrassing “We both happened to accidentally see each other in the buff” fiasco, which miraculously hadn’t spread all over the camp like wildfire – unlike Lon’qu’s awkward courtship of Lissa, made even worse by his inner struggle of terror and attraction with the young princess, or Virion’s loud proclamations of love for Sully, or even Sumia’s literally falling for Frederick – something Robin was silently celebrating, since it meant the Pegasus Knight was no longer mooning over Chrom. 

Not that she had any ulterior motive for that – she just hated seeing the young woman throwing herself at the obviously oblivious prince, who was too wrapped up in the campaign to even think of courtship. She liked Sumia, and wanted better for her than that. 

Anyway, that was all behind them, and they were revenged upon each other, and Robin could even look in Chrom’s direction off of the battlefield now without feeling her face grow hotter than any sunburn she might have obtained. 

Only he was avoiding her. Or she thought he was. It might have been all in her head, the avoiding, but she hadn’t seen him outside a battle in days. 

So that was the reason she was striding toward his tent just before dinner. 

Chrom was sitting at his desk, pouring over manuscripts, but he knew she was there. It was obvious – he sat up straighter as she lifted the flap, though he didn’t turn around. 

“So I heard you went patrolling by yourself last night.”

He didn’t turn around to look at her. “Only the immediate area. And I did take some men with me.”

“You already know what I’m going to say, don’t you?”

She heard him chuckle. “‘It’s too risky and I need to be more careful.’ Thank you, mother.”

She stuck her tongue out at his back. 

“I saw that.”

“No you didn’t,” she drawled, taking a step into his tent, and making very sure to leave the flap open. She let her eyes roam around the tent, never quite landing on his back.

“So if you know what I’m going to say,” she went on, “then why--”

He sighed, more amused than exasperated, and turned around to face her. “I understand that there could be assassins out there. Now more than ever,” he swallowed, remembering the rescue mission they were about to embark upon, “but there are people who need my help. And I can’t stand idly by while people are suffering. I can’t. I won’t.”

Robin sighed. And here was the crux of the thing – he was so selfless, one of the many things she lo-uh- admired about him, but he was putting himself in danger. Again. “So why not send your men in search of these… hapless innocents. Surely they can ease a modicum of suffering?” She glanced over at him.

“Because,” he replied petulantly, still not meeting her gaze.

“Because?”

Chrom’s blue eyes flicked up to meet hers, and she felt it like a blow. “Because of you.” Her breath caught in her throat.

“Because of me?”

His gaze fell to his twisting hands, and she could breathe again. “If I hadn’t been there – if Fredrick, or anyone else had found you in that field alone… we wouldn’t have met.”

Robin couldn’t speak. It was all she could do to continue to fill her lungs with air.

“And it’s not just you, Robin. It’s everyone like you. I know it’s dangerous out there, and I haven’t always been as careful as I should be. But it’s a risk I’m willing to take, in order to help people, in order to connect with them, to forge bonds.”

She stared at him, as he folded and unfolded his hands. “Bonds…?”

“Bonds. Between you and me… and the rest of the army. The rest of the world.” He spread his hands, “they’re the true strength of this army – our friendship. Without it, we’re lost.”

It sounded like a bunch of crap to her, until she thought about it. She’d been among his army now for months – fighting the Risen, fighting bandits and the like. That initial shyness had washed away with the first battle, and she too was forging bonds. She knew that Sumia loved her flower fortunes and had the worst taste in novels. She knew that Vaike was a total voyeur and that Sully had issues with her body and that Lissa could not stop pranking people to save her life. And she was learning that she cared more for all of them than she had ever thought possible. 

Now, she didn’t even care that she hadn’t regained her memories. She was forging new ones.  


“And well,” Chrom went on. His head jerked up, and he was smiling. “you can disagree all you want, but that’s the great thing about leadership – I get to make the final call.”

“I guess you do. Just… let me come with you next time?”

“So you can watch my back?” he teased, and she scowled at him.

“Your fully armored back, yes,” she shot back. “That, and well, I want to know more about these bonds you’re talking about,” she admitted. Then she made her tone light. “I want to be there when you find the next me, face down in a field.”

He stood, and she was very aware of how small the tent was. “Oh, I doubt we’ll find another you, however long we look. You’re one of a kind.”

“That I am,” she replied, smirking. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some planning to do. Someone has to save our fearless leader from himself.”

She managed to make it out of his tent without looking back.


End file.
